Is reducing environmental impact in the EU feasible?
By 2023 all EU member states must be complying with more stringent guidelines related to Integrated Pest Management (IPM). "The essence of the new guideline is reducing the environmental impact of...
View ArticleScientists identify gene that may ease genetic modification of plants
A recent discovery could lead to easier genetic modification of plant varieties considered recalcitrant to standard methods, including varieties of economically important crops.
View ArticleA new approach to detecting changes in GM foods
Does genetic manipulation causes unintended changes in food quality and composition? Are genetically modified (GM) foods less nutritious than their non-GM counterparts, or different in unknown ways?
View ArticleResearchers design trees that make it easier to produce pulp
Researchers have genetically engineered trees that will be easier to break down to produce paper and biofuel, a breakthrough that will mean using fewer chemicals, less energy and creating fewer...
View ArticleFamine fear won't sway minds on GM crops
A sack-hauling time traveler from the 21st century lands in an Irish potato field in 1849, just before a terrible famine, and asks: If you thought genetically modified (GM) potatoes could avert late...
View ArticleTo fight malaria, we now have genetic weapons that can track and kill
Every year malaria kills more than 600,000, which is a little less than the population of Bhutan. There are some simple solutions to control the disease, but keeping the numbers of mosquitoes with...
View ArticleBecause we can, does it mean we should? The ethics of GM foods
Food is cultural, social and deeply personal, so it's no surprise that modifications to the way food is produced, distributed and consumed often lead to ethical debates.
View ArticleCrambe could be an even better oil crop thanks to gene technology
It is possible to apply genetic modification to the crop crambe so it meets market demands and takes into account what modern society wants. These are the results of research for which Weicong Qi will...
View ArticleQuestioning GMOs
Are genetically engineered foods safe? Truth is, we probably don't know. "The scientific debate is not resolved, even though many people are claiming it is," says Sheldon Krimsky, the Lenore Stern...
View ArticleGenome editing poses ethical problems that we cannot ignore
The ability to precisely and accurately change almost any part of any genome, even in complex species such as humans, may soon become a reality through genome editing. But with great power comes great...
View ArticleRegulating genome-edited crops that aren't GMOs
A survey of rice, wheat, barley, fruit, and vegetable crops found that most mutants created by advanced genetic engineering techniques may be out of the scope of current genetically modified organism...
View ArticleCan gene editing provide a solution to global hunger?
According to the World Food Program, some 795 million people – one in nine people on earth – don't have enough food to lead a healthy active life. That will only get worse with the next global food...
View ArticleUnlocking lignin for sustainable biofuel
Turning trees, grass, and other biomass into fuel for automobiles and airplanes is a costly and complex process. Biofuel researchers are working to change that, envisioning a future where cellulosic...
View ArticlePublic response to new technologies in food depends on the type of tech
There's a lot of interest in how the public will respond to incorporating new technologies, such as nanotechnology or genetic modification (GM), into food products – but it can be difficult to tell...
View ArticleGenetically modified moths pass greenhouse testing, ready for the wild
(Phys.org)—A team of researchers at British company Oxitec has developed a genetic approach to controlling diamondback moth caterpillars and report that trials in greenhouse conditions has gone so well...
View ArticleGM—'the most critical technology' for feeding the world, expert says
A former adviser to the US Secretary of State says that genetic modification (GM) is the most critical technology in agriculture for meeting the challenges of feeding a growing global population,...
View ArticleIntractable pain may find relief in tiny gold rods
A team of scientists at Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) has developed a novel technique using tiny gold rods to target pain receptors.
View ArticleStudent tackles labeling RNA without genetic modification
Overcoming limitations of super-resolution microscopy to optimize imaging of RNA in living cells is a key motivation for physics graduate student Takuma Inoue, who works in the lab of MIT assistant...
View ArticleFrankenflies sent to defeat Zika
A coalition of the willing has unleashed a surge of Frankenflies at the frontline of the War on Zika. Armed with a genetic payload, the airborne troops will carry out a precision strike against a rogue...
View ArticleDurably resistant potatoes with wild potato genes offer 80% reduction in...
A research project into the development of potatoes with sustainable resistance against phytophthora via genetic modification with genes from wild potato varieties and good resistance management...
View ArticleWhat's the right question to ask about GMOs?
I would argue that the source of a transgene and its method of introduction are irrelevant to the safety of the resulting plant. A gene is a gene — it is a sequence of DNA and, as a molecule, DNA has...
View ArticleSynBio—democratizing biotechnology?
In the 1970s a group of enthusiasts met at the Homebrew Computer Club in Silicon Valley to share information about DIY construction of computing devices. Members complained that computers would never...
View ArticleBiochemists feed 'poison pill' to deadly virus with a funny name
It has a funny name - coxsackievirus - but there's nothing funny about how this tiny germ and its close relatives sicken their hosts.
View ArticleThe rapid and highly sophisticated adaptation of asexual pathogens
How can fungi that only multiply vegetatively adapt so quickly to in the immune system of plants? The answer appears to lie in the way how the DNA of an asexual pathogen can rapidly adapt due to...
View ArticleVideo: Genetically modified humans? CRISPR/Cas 9 explained
Thanks to a new, cheap and accurate DNA-editing technique called CRISPR-Cas9, targeted genetic modification in humans is no longer just the realm of science fiction. Both the British and U.S....
View ArticleProduction of seedless fruits an underestimated tool for improving food security
Production of seedless fruits an under-estimated tool for improving food security, research shows
View ArticleManipulating gene expression precisely using light
A Hokkaido University researcher has successfully developed a method to accurately manipulate gene expression by light illumination and demonstrated its usability by creating double-headed zebrafish.
View ArticleFrom skin to brain: Stem cells without genetic modification
A discovery, several years in the making, by a University at Buffalo research team has proven that adult skin cells can be converted into neural crest cells (a type of stem cell) without any genetic...
View ArticleMarshmallow-like silicone gels used as insulation in containers for...
As the genetic modification of mice is increasingly prevalent in medical and biological research, so, too, is the need for an efficient way to transport cryopreserved embryos and sperm.
View ArticleGenetic modification and genome editing rely on active roles for researchers...
How society regards the use of genetic modification and genome editing can have a significant influence on how these technologies are regulated by authorities and on the pace of technological...
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